Modern computer-based calendaring systems provide an efficient and effective way for users to manage their time, allowing users to enter and modify tasks and view those tasks in a calendar format (e.g., week-based or month-based displays). One popular method of entering a new task involves the use of a “date picker” user interface. Such interfaces allow the user to display and select a date from a drop-down menu or other widget rather than enter a date manually.
Conventional date-picker user interfaces are unsatisfactory in a number of respects. For example, the calendar provided by the date-picker is typically just a view of an un-annotated calendar of the month (or week). Referring momentarily to the example prior art date-picker interface 400 shown in FIG. 4, it can be seen that the drop-down calendar display merely includes the days of the month (e.g., 404) arranged in the appropriate manner for that month. While, the user can then click on the desired task date, which will then be used to fill the date field, the user is unaware of how many other tasks are due on that particular day and/or how important each of those tasks are. As a result, the user may inadvertently over-schedule a particular day or otherwise fail to distribute his or her tasks satisfactorily.
Accordingly, methods and systems are desired for improved methods for entering, aggregating, and presenting task data.